Disc wheels



H. KORDES DISC WHEELS Sept. 27, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 21,1956 Inventor.

5 E 5 B r is Q m 5 E M H. KORDES Sept. 27, 1960 DISC WHEELS 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 21, 1956 Sept. 27, 1960 H. KORDES 2,954,259

DISC WHEELS Filed June 21, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 & jm/enfon DISC WHEELSHeinrich Kordes, Osnabruck, Germany, assignor toKliickner-Georgsmarienwerke Aktiengesellschaft, Osnabruck, Germany FiledJune 21, 1956, Set. N0. 592,872 'Claims priority, application GermanyDec. 19, 1955 2 Claims. (Cl. 295-11) nected with the tyre of the wheel,and the inner surfaces of a V-section annular flange connected with thewheel hub.

Various forms of construction of such wheels are known. 1

However, these known formsof construction enjoy little popularity inpractice, chiefly because in the past it was not correctly understoodhow'the above-named three basic elements of the wheel, namely the wheelrim, the annular flange, and the resilient insertions between them,ought to be shaped and correlated to produce a disc wheel which wouldcombine low weight, low cost of manufacture, and optimum resilienceobtained by taking advantage of the full deformation energy of theresilient insertions.

According to the invention the solution of the problem is comprised inthat the wheel rim is'of V-shape and that the likewise V-shaped annularflange associated with the wheel hub consists of two similar,correspondingly angled, homologous, sheet-metal rings joined to getherby welded dowel pins and connected with the wheel hub through weldedseams and that the insertions consist of a castable elastic syntheticplastic material.

For making the insertions it is preferred to use a synthetic plastic orrubber-like material consisting of softened polyurethane, for instancethe product commercially known by the trade name of Vulkollan which is asynthetic material that stands up well to cyclic deformation, excels byits anti-abrasive properties and fatigue resistance, besides beingunaflected by petrol and oil, and has a low specific weight which inconjunction with a hollow-section wheel rim enables the total weight ofthe wheel to be sensibly reduced.

The employment of the above mentioned rubber-like synthetic plasticmaterial affords the further advantage that the insertions may be bondedto the metal of the wheel rim by moulding them on to the rim, and theconnection between the insertions and the sheet-metal apertured discsmay conveniently be effected by means of a suitable cement. Thisprocedure avoids the loss of time, the complications, and thedifliculties of control involved in the hitherto customary method ofvulcanising the insertions in position, a necessity that could not beavoided when employing the natural or synthetic rubbers hitherto used.Moreover, in view of the unusually high fatigue resistance to cyclicfiexural deformation possessed by the said rubber-like plasticmaterials, pro-compression of the insertions can be greatly diminishedwithout reducing their life and this in turn produces an exceptionallyhigh radial and axial resilience in a disc wheel constructed accordingto the present invention. It is also a matter of importance that SW P 2the elastic qualities of the said synthetic plastics can be controlledwithin very wide limits by the addition of plasticisers and othercompounding materials so that they can be adapted specifically to theloads they are designed to withstand.

The invention will be hereinafter more particularly described withreference to the accompanying drawings which show an illustrativeexample of a disc wheel according to the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a cross-section through a portion of the body, of the wheelwith the tyre shrunk on;

Fig. 2 is a partial section of a similar wheel including an earthingcable;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the wheel shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section taken along the line E--F of Fig. 1,

'and

. ing to the invention comprises a wheel hub 1, the disc proper which inthe present instance comprises mainly sheet metal apertured discs 2, 3combined to form an annular flange, rubber-like. insertions 4, 4, and,finally, a V-shaped wheel rim 5 with shrunk on tyre 8. The

1 huh I is preferably a drop-forging. The two sheet discs 2, 3, as willbe readily understood from Figs. 1 and 2, are two identical parts, afactor which keeps down the cost of production and storage. Thetwo'sheet-metal discs 2, 3 are joined together by dowels 7 fixed inposition by welds 7 after the insertions 4, 4 have been slightlyprecompressed. The hub 1 and the annular flange are joined by seamweldingalong 1a and 1b, the welded joint also holding the two metaldiscs 2, 3 of the flange together. The insertions 4, 4' are preferred tobe ring-shaped bodies made of a rubber-like mouldable synthetic plasticmaterial, and preferably a plastic belonging to the groupDesmodur/Desmophen, known in the trade under the name of Vulkollan.

In view of the comparatively low pre-compression to which the insertionsneed be subjected if they consist of the above specified plastic theyform resilient cushions capable of storing an unusual amount of elasticdeformational energy both in the radial as well as in the axialdirection. Unlike rubber, these insertions need not be subjected to highaxial pro-compression, as is the case with rubber to enable it reliablyto absorb the loads that occur in operational service, although therubber is thereby deprived of the major proportion of its elasticpotential.

Practical tests have proved that pre-compression between 6.8 to 8 tonsis suflicient for the wheels according to the invention Whereasrubber-cushioned wheels with a T-shaped ring and disc-shaped rubberinsertions require, for instance a pre-compression of from 24 to 60tons.

To balance and centre the Wheel body on a lathe when machining the tyre,the wheel rim 5 is provided with three radially inwardly directed andangularly spaced lugs 6 the shape of which can be seen more particularlyin Fig. 4. A hole 6' is drilled through each of the lugs, andcorresponding holes 2a and 2b which align with the holes 6 are providedin the sheet metal discs, as shown in Fig. 1. By inserting a threadedbolt or the like through these holes the wheel rim 5 and the portions 2,3 of the annular flange can be directly connected together and thecushioning members 4 and 4' bridged.

Electrical connection between the parts 5 and 2, 3 is effected by meansof an earthing cable 9 (Figure 2) secured by screws 10 and 10' to theannular flange 2 and the wheel rim 5 respectively in electrical contacttherewith. As will be seen, the earthing cable is disposed inside thewheel structure so that it is well protected from external interferenceand possible damage.

The insertions 4, 4 are mounted in-the first-instance preferably bymoulding the rubber-like synthetic plastic material on to the wheel rim5 and will then allow the plastic rings, i.e. the insertions, to besimultaneously moulded on to the sheet metal discs 2, 3. IfIthe wheelrim 5 is of unit construction, the sheet-metal discs 2, 3 must be bondedto the insertions in a second operation by means of a suitable cementwhich provides a bond with the metal. The insertions are thenpre-compressed to the low pressure required. Finally, the pre-compressedinsertions are secured by inserting the, dowels 7 in the discs 2, 3 andwelding.

I claim:

1. A disc wheel for railway rolling stock comprising a wheel hub, aV-shaped annular flange surrounding said hub co-axially therewith andspaced therefrom, discs rigidly supporting the annular flange on thehub, a V- shaped wheel rim surrounding the annular flange coaxiallytherewith and radially spaced therefrom, a tyre supported by said rim,pre-compressed resilient insertions of a mouldable elastic syntheticplastic material interposed between the wheel rim and the flange inengagement respectively therewith, inwardly directed angularly spacedlugs on said wheel rim with an aperture the wheel rim and the annularflange and thereby temporarily to bridge the resilient insertions whenthe Wheel is mounted on a lathe for machining the tyre of the wheel.

2. A disc wheel for railway rolling stock comprising a wheel hub, aV-shapedannular flange surrounding said hub coaxially therewith andspaced therefrom, discs rigidly supporting the, annular flange on thehub, a V- shaped wheel rim surrounding the annlar flange coaxiallytherewith andradially spaced therefrom, a tire supported by said rim,pre-compressed resilient insertions of a moldable elastic syntheticplastic material interposed between the wheel rirnand the flange inengagement respectively therewith, and inwardly spaced lugs on saidwheelrim each with an aperture therethrough, said annular flange havingapertures therethrough in alignment with the lug apertures to permit theinsertion of means 7 through the aligned apertures to directly securethe wheel rimwand the annular flange together when the tire I6-extending through each of said lugs, and apertures in said quiresmachining.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS271,286 Wellman .Q. Jan. 30, 1883 623,883 Cameron Apr. 25, 18901,497,404 Patch June 10, 1924 2,124,350 Hirshfeld July 19, 19382,270,622 Burton Jan. 20, 1942 2,552,082 Ash May 8, 1951 2,674,897Heinish Apr; 13, 1954 2,749,960 Schwartz June 12, 1956

